Chapter 6
The wounded sergeant on the stretcher closed his eyes.
The recording continued.
Emily stayed over Alpha 3 until the rescue birds reached them.
She drew fire away from the landing zone.
She took hits she never reported.
She circled with low fuel.
She talked one panicking soldier through tying a tourniquet on his own leg.
She stayed until the last man was loaded.
Only then did she turn home.
When the recording ended, no one spoke.
The runway was full of soldiers, medics, pilots, mechanics, and silence.
General Kincaid removed the cable from the helmet.
He turned to Barrett.
“You delayed support to protect your image.”
Barrett’s face had gone pale.
“Sir, I was protecting assets.”
Kincaid looked toward the stretchers.
“Those are assets.”
A young private on a stretcher lifted his hand.
His voice was weak, but clear.
“Sir… she kept talking to us.”
Everyone turned.
The private swallowed hard.
“We thought nobody was coming. Then we heard her say, ‘I’m coming.’”
His eyes found Emily.
“That’s why we held.”
Emily’s face trembled for the first time.
She looked away.
Not because she was ashamed.
Because she was seconds from breaking.
Barrett pointed at the damaged A-10.
“That aircraft almost crashed on landing.”
Emily’s crew chief, Master Sergeant Doyle, stepped forward.
His face was streaked with grease.
“With respect, sir, that aircraft landed with hydraulic damage, gear damage, and thirty-two holes because Captain Hayes kept it flying after it got those boys out.”
Barrett snapped, “I didn’t ask you.”
General Kincaid did not look away from Barrett.
“I did.”
Doyle stood straighter.
May you like
“She brought it home, sir. Like she always does.”
Read Part 7 to see the question that ended Colonel Barrett’s command.
